A Wyoming mother who vanished during a cross-country road trip with her ex-boyfriend was captured on an Arkansas officer’s bodycam days before her disappearance.
As CrimeOnline previously reported, 33-year-old Katie Ferguson hasn’t been seen since early October; her family reported her missing on November 2 to police in Cody, Wyoming. She was traveling with two children, a-year-old and an 11-month-old infant when she vanished.
She was also with her boyfriend, Adam Aviles, Jr., who is suspected of harming her.
Ferguson’s older sister, Nicole, said Ferguson had left Adam Aviles, Jr., in May, and moved from Wyoming to Alabama with her children to stay with her mother. In October, the pair reconciled and embarked on the trip back to Wyoming.
Ferguson’s last spotting happened during a traffic stop in Trumann, Arkansas, on October 5. Arkansas police released the video, obtained by DailyMail, which showed Ferguson smiling and speaking friendly with the officers. She appeared to be OK at the time.
When Aviles was pulled over in Texas on October 9, Ferguson was no longer in the vehicle. On November 4, police found the car at the Oregon Basin, near Cody. Police searched the car and later told the family that a large amount of dried blood was found inside the vehicle.
“The vehicle had trash bags blocking the view through the window,” a criminal complaint obtained by Law&Crime read. “Deputies broke a window to make sure no one was in the vehicle who may need medical attention.”
Then, police found “a projectile hole in the passenger door concealed with tape,” and numerous fired .45 bullets in the passenger door. On November 8, Ferguson’s 4-year-old child told investigators that her father hurt her mother.
Police subsequently arrested Aviles on a federal felon in possession of ammunition charge. He has since pleaded not guilty and is scheduled for his next court hearing on January 24. He has not been charged with Ferguson’s disappearance but he is reportedly suspected of her murder.
“Mr. Aviles is suspect in a homicide case,” David Weiss, assistant U.S. public defender, wrote in a December 7 federal court filing.
Weiss requested additional time to prepare for Avile Jr.’s upcoming trial, which could become a murder trial, should he be charged with Ferguson’s death.
“Mr. Aviles may be facing additional charges in another jurisdiction,” Weiss added. “And it is crucial that defense counsel and Mr. Aviles are fully informed as to the extent and circumstances of the underlying allegations and the effect that a conviction or plea may have in that case.”
Meanwhile, Ferguson’s sister hopes that Aviles Jr. will explain what happened to her sister.
“I just really hope he, Adam, will talk and just really say what happened,” Nicole said. “I love her and I don’t want to be negative but I don’t think she’s coming home, but I at least want her to be found.”
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[Feature Photo: Katie Ferguson and Adam Aviles, Jr./Facebook]
